Today, we’ll be taking a look at Zapdos G, which was released in the Arceus expansion set. Being an SP Pokemon gives it access to the powerful TGI Engine as well as aid from cards such as Garchomp C LV.X, Bronzong G, Alakazam 4 LV.X, etc. However, this isn’t always enough to warrant play. There are many powerful SP Pokemon, so if Zapdos wants to see play, it either has to be more powerful or offer something new. Does Zapdos do either of those things? Let’s find out!
Zapdos has 90 HP, a x2 Lightning Weakness, a -20 Fighting Resistance and two Retreat Cost. Unfortunately, the low HP coupled with the Lightning Weakness makes it an extremely fragile Pokemon. The Fighting Resistance does very little to change that. A retreat cost of CC is pretty high, so you’ll need to use Warp Energy or TGI Poke Turn to remove it from the active slot.
With no Poke-Powers or Poke-Bodies to be seen, we’re left with two attacks. The first, “Charge Beam”, for the low cost of C, (it’s even better where TGI Energy Gain is readily available to lower costs even further) does a pitiful 10 damage and allows you to flip a coin. If the result is heads, search your discard pile for an Energy card and attach it to Zapdos.
Since the damage output is terrible and it’s effect relies on a coin flip, the effect is by no means good. But, the attack isn’t completely useless and can be a good option granted you have nothing else to attack with that turn, especially since it’s able to attach Special, as well as Basic Energies from your Discard Pile to Zapdos.
“Lightning Strike” costs a high LLC, which means that you’ll definitely need TGI Energy Gain to have any hope of using it before Zapdos is KOed. For this big investment, you deal a pitiful 40 damage but thankfully, we’re not done yet. When you use “Lightning Strike”, you may discard all Lightning Energy attached to Zapdos to do 80 damage.
So, for LLC and 2-3 Specific Energy sent to your discard pile, you do 80 damage. While this attack is terribly overpriced as well as being underpowered (Garchomp C LV.X requires 3 Colorless Energy, meaning you can use DCE, only requires a flat two Energy Discarded and can snipe Pokemon off of the bench as well).
The only reason I could see you wanting to use Zapdos is to serve as a way to OHKO (with Lucario GL) even a Belted Gyarados. If you’re running DialgaChomp and scared of Gyarados, teching in a Zapdos and two Lightning Energy isn’t worth it. You’re better off running finding some other way to beat it. If you play LuxChomp and feel your Gyarados match up isn’t strong enough, make sure you’re running a thick line of Luxray GL, Crobat G as well as a Lucario GL and you should be fine.
My Recommendation: In my opinion, it is overshadowed in almost every way by Luxray GL LV.X or Luxray GL (if OHKOing a Belted G-dos is you’re goal). I honestly can’t think of a single reason why you’d want to use Zapdos G in a deck that some other card doesn’t do better.
My Rating: 1.75/5
